


River Town Christmas

by DubiousSparrow



Series: River Town [6]
Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Adam Parrish Loves Ronan Lynch, Christmas Fluff, M/M, Ronan Lynch Loves Adam Parrish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:02:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25696231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DubiousSparrow/pseuds/DubiousSparrow
Summary: Adam and Ronan's first Christmas together.
Relationships: Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish
Series: River Town [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1775125
Comments: 24
Kudos: 116





	River Town Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Tis the season of fluff. Snow drifts of fluff. Fluff as far as the eye can see, folks.

Noah appeared from the bar’s kitchen carrying a platter of sandwiches. His friends were already seated around their usual table in the back and greeted him with hoots and applause. 

“Behold! I present to you the greatest Thanksgiving Leftover-wiches your unrefined palates will ever encounter!”

He somehow managed not to drop the towering sandwiches as he was pelted with fries, balled up napkins, and several of Blue’s hair clips. After doling out the food he collapsed into a seat at the table.

“It has begun,” he intoned ominously, “Ronan had me up in the attic bringing down all the Christmas decorations this morning... this might be a new record.”

Adam spoke around a mouthful of turkey, “Kind of early for that. Maybe he just wants to get it all organized?”

The others at the table exchanged looks.

Blue cleared her throat and asked carefully, “Do you know about Ronan and Christmas?”

Adam looked up from his food, “What about Ronan and Christmas...?”

Blue glanced at the others, her eyes clearly asking _do we let him find out on his own?_

Adam set his sandwich down, “You guys are starting to freak me out...”

“Oh, it’s not BAD,” Gansey exclaimed.

Henry made an _ehhh_ noise and wiggled his hand in the air signaling _sort of...._

Blue slapped Henry’s hand and he yelped.

“Gansey’s right, it’s not anything bad,” Blue assured Adam, “he just gets... kind of intense about it.”

Adam let out a relieved breath, “Guys, it’s _Ronan_. He gets intense about generic versus name brand Q-tips. I’m sure I can handle this.”

Gansey took a sip of beer and looked pointedly out the window, while Blue became entranced by her phone. Noah crammed half of a sandwich into his mouth and started choking.

Henry raised a single, perfect eyebrow at Adam, and covered his hand with his own, “We’ll be here when you need us, darling.”

**

Holidays, unfortunately, meant very little to Adam’s bosses. Nor did weekends. While he’d managed not to work on Thanksgiving or the day after, Saturday saw all hands on deck preparing for a big case. He’d managed to square it with Ronan by promising to bring him his favorite pizza from a little hole-in-the-wall joint in the city on his way home.

As he walked through his front door he nearly dropped the box.

“Holy _fuck_ …”

Ronan hadn’t heard the door open. He’d been half inside a seven–foot Douglas fir at the time.

Adam stood in the doorway, dumbstruck.

Ronan hesitated. _Fuck_. Adam did not respond well to change, and the apartment he’d left that morning looked _very_ different. 

Pine garlands hung from the fireplace mantel. Electric candles had been placed in every window. Cardboard boxes of ornaments crowded the floor. And there was a giant pine tree in the front window, half wrapped in twinkling white lights. Ronan was tangled in the other half of the string.

Ronan cleared his throat and prepared himself for some patented Parrish resistance, “I’m getting this shithole ready for Christmas. Looks good, right?”

Adam cocked an eyebrow at Ronan. He didn’t actually need to say much to clearly convey his feelings at this point in their relationship.

Ronan shrugged the lights off of his shoulder and threw them on the couch. He approached his boyfriend cautiously and reached for his tie, using it to pull him closer and then loosening it and slipping it from around his neck. He took the pizza box from Adam’s hands and tossed it on the coffee table. And finally, he put his lips to Adam’s good ear and dropped his voice to a low whisper, “It’s our first Christmas together. I wanna celebrate, babe.”

Ronan felt Adam’s body relax at the warm breath against his ear. Adam moved his head back slightly and caught Ronan’s mouth with his own.

Adam broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Ronan’s, “First… I love you…”

Ronan grinned and stole another kiss.

“And second, it’s _two days after Thanksgiving_. Have you lost your goddamned mind?”

Ronan huffed and pulled back, “Thanksgiving is _over_ , which means it’s time for Christmas, jerk. It’s not like I started playing carols after Halloween.”

Adam looked at him wide-eyed, “Oh my god, you have a carol playlist don’t you…?”

Ronan shoved him gently in the chest, “Just the good shit… no Rudolph, no fucking Jingle Bells…”

“ _Adeste fideles_?” Adam smirked.

“ _Laeti triumphantes_ , bitch!” Ronan crowed and pulled Adam over to the couch.

Adam shook his head, a small smile on his face, “Every time I think I have you figured out, you do something like this.”

“Enjoying Christmas is unexpected?”

“This is not ‘enjoying Christmas.’ This is …something else entirely. You do realize that that tree is never gonna make it to the end of December?”

“Course not, Parrish,” Ronan said running his fingers between the buttons of Adam’s shirt, causing him to shiver and shift closer, “This is just the _first_ tree.”

As Ronan’s hands undid Adam’s belt and slid down his hips, Adam lost the ability to respond to that declaration.

**

The rest of the night had been something of a blur. They quickly realized enough pine needles had fallen onto the couch that it was not the most ideal location for what they were trying to accomplish. They’d moved into the bedroom and celebrated the end of a long week, and, apparently, the beginning of an extra-long Christmas season. Ronan had eventually brought the pizza into the bedroom and they’d relaxed against each other, and ate, and exchanged greasy kisses. Adam finally fell asleep sprawled across the bed. Ronan stayed and watched him for awhile, running his fingers through Adam’s hair. Once he knew that Adam was deeply asleep, his eyelashes fluttering as he dreamed, Ronan rose quietly and padded back into the living room. _There was so much more to do._

**

Adam stretched his arm across the bed as he woke, expecting to find warm, solid muscle. His hand landed on cool sheets and pizza crumbs instead. His eyes cracked open in confusion. Ronan rarely got out of bed before Adam. He pushed himself up and looked around the room. No blood. No ransom note. Ronan wasn’t passed out on the floor.

Adam smelled coffee brewing. It was enough to propel him to the door, snagging Ronan’s shirt from the day before from the floor as he went.

He pulled the shirt over his head as he walked through the bedroom door and looked up. He froze at the sight that greeted him.

Every surface was draped in decoration – garlands, candles, wreaths, twinkling lights. All leading to the focal point in the large bay window at the front of the house -- the huge tree now covered fully in lights and ornaments, an angel looking down from its peak.

“Jeeeeeeesus….” Adam breathed out.

Ronan emerged from the kitchen carrying coffee and wrapped his arms around Adam’s waist from behind, holding up the mug for him to take, “That’s generally the idea, yeah.“

Adam took the mug of coffee and took a steadying sip, “So… this is a _thing_ with you, huh?”

“A _thing_?”

“Uh, yeah, a _thing_. A defining characteristic? A fixation? _Please_ tell me not a kink…I’m not dressing up like Santa…. or the Grinch," Adam paused to think, "...or a wise man.”

Ronan pulled back in horror, “A kink?! I decorate our home for Christmas and you call it a kink?!”

Adam turned and grabbed Ronan’s arm, “I’m _kidding_. I’m sorry. I’m just… still surprised by… all this.”

Ronan looked at the floor, “If you don’t like it, I’ll take it down.”

“No. That’s not what I’m saying. I don’t… not like it… I just don’t think I get it…“

Ronan looked back up and into Adam’s eyes, confused, “What’s there to get? It’s Christmas. You decorate. You buy presents. You eat, and drink, and be fucking merry. You hang out with your family…” Ronan’s tirade stumbled to an abrupt stop.

Adam nodded, “Yeah...”

“Did your family not celebrate at all?” Ronan asked quietly.

Adam hesitated, “Well, we had a table-top tree for a couple years until it broke. And my parents usually gave me some random piece of shit. Nothing I ever wanted. Nothing that ever showed they knew anything about me.”

Ronan pulled Adam closer, “I’m a fucking idiot.”

“No, you’re not,” Adam leaned his head against Ronan’s shoulder, “You’re trying to share something you love with me, and I’m… I’m…”

“You’re not doing anything. I know I’m going overboard with this stuff…. It’s just that my parents always did it up big when I was a kid. After they died, I couldn’t deal with Christmas for awhile… my brother tried, but it wasn’t the same…”

Adam felt as much as heard Ronan swallow the lump in his throat.

“The past few years though it’s gotten better. My friends, no matter where they’ve been, have always made sure to be together on Christmas Eve. And then Matt and Dec and I spend Christmas Day together. It’s like… I got it back.”

Adam tightened his arms around Ronan.

“I just… I wanted us to make new memories,” Ronan lifted Adam’s chin up so he was looking in his eyes, “You’re my family now.”

Adam placed a soft kiss on Ronan’s lips, “I love you. And I love everything you’ve done to this apartment.”

Ronan’s eyes shifted to the side, “You haven’t actually seen the kitchen yet…”

“Oh, god… what… what else could you have done?”

Ronan smirked and took Adam by the hand, pulling him into the kitchen.

Adam burst out laughing. Hanging above the kitchen island was the largest bundle of mistletoe he had ever seen.

**

For Adam, December passed in a blur. His days were filled with the gray slush and biting cold of Manhattan in the winter. He rode the overheated subway, crushed against bodies padded in giant coats, and skirted around tourists gazing into the elaborately decorated storefront windows on his walk to work.

But every night he came home to an oasis of peace and warmth, both in his home and in his home-away-from-home at The Raven. Ronan had decorated the bar as enthusiastically as their apartment. A tree stood in the corner by the mural, decorated in vintage ornaments and golden lights. Stained glass stars hung in every window. And somehow even more candles glowed around the room.

Adam pushed open the heavy door and saw his friends already seated around their usual table. Ronan had closed the bar for Christmas Eve so that they could all celebrate together there. The table was already piled with food, but Noah was bouncing through the kitchen door with yet another platter. Ronan was mixing a pitcher of something behind the bar while Henry held court at the table.

“So my sainted mother informs me that she will no longer be footing my third of the rent for the apartment, and that she expects me to _find a job_ , as if I have the time for such a thing,” Henry shook his head in astonishment, “The nerve of that woman… the unmitigated gall… the _effrontery_! And at the holidays no less!”

Blue held up her hand and rubbed her thumb and index finger together, “Tiny violin, babe, playing just for you.”

Ronan snorted from his position behind the bar, snagging Henry’s attention.

“Ronan… dearest Ronan, dearest _employer_ Ronan… don’t you need more help around here? Perhaps in a managerial position?”

“Fuck, no. Go find your meal ticket somewhere else.”

Henry huffed in disappointment, “Maybe Calla needs help at the yarn shop…”

Gansey looked up from his beer, “Didn’t she ban you from the premises after the last poker night?”

“That doesn’t seem relevant,” Henry sniffed.

The group finally noticed Adam standing in the doorway – he’d been watching them with a quiet smile on his face.

“Parrish, quit hovering and get over here!” Blue called, “Merry Christmas!”

Adam shrugged out of his coat and took his usual seat at the table – the one with the best view of the bar, “Merry Christmas, Blue. Merry Christmas, guys.”

Ronan had brought the pitcher and a tray of glasses over to the table. He leaned down and kissed Adam hello, “Hey you.”

“Hey,” Adam smiled up at Ronan and squeezed his waist in greeting.

Adam turned to Henry, “You should talk to Persephone – she’s always looking for part-time help at the library. I’m sure it doesn’t pay much, but it’s probably pretty flexible.”

Henry’s eyes lit up, “Adam Parrish, you are my savior. And think of the aesthetic. I could _own_ librarian chic.”

Gansey’s eyes widened, “You really could.”

Blue grinned and gave Gansey a quick peck, “You’re getting him all riled up, Henry, save it for later.”

Henry saluted her with a wink.

“OK, enough of…. whatever this is,” Ronan announced waving his hand vaguely in his friends’ direction, “Let’s get down to business!”

He poured the mystery concoction from the pitcher, and handed around the glasses.

Noah took the first sip and closed his eyes, “Ohhhh…. You’ve outdone yourself this year, buddy.”

Adam smelled the drink – it smelled spicy and warm, “What is it?”

“Mulled wine. Old Lynch family recipe,” Ronan said, smiling proudly.

Adam took a sip, and then another – it was delicious and he felt his body begin to thaw out from the long walk up the hill from the train.

“This is amazing, Ronan,” Adam breathed.

Ronan took the seat next to Adam and leaned against him, “Just take it easy, lightweight, you need to be fully functioning to keep me from stabbing Declan with a fake icicle tomorrow.”

Noah grinned, “Remember the year you two nearly came to blows over the ‘correct amount of tinsel’”?

Adam raised an eyebrow at Ronan.

“What? He’s fuckin’ stingy about everything, including tinsel.”

Blue laughed, “Come on, he’s better since the kids, you have to admit – he spoils them rotten.”

Ronan let half a smile escape at the thought of his nieces, “Yeah, I guess.”

Noah threw back the rest of his drink and slammed the glass on the table, “Alright, people, dig in. I’ve outdone myself!”

“He says that every year,“ Ronan murmured in Adam’s ear.

“I heard that. And yes, I do – because it’s _tradition_ and it’s _true_ , “ Noah replied breezily.

They ate and drank and laughed late into the night. Blue handed out the gifts she’d made for everyone – handbound journals, each with something to personalize the cover. Ronan’s had a dark collage of paper feathers. For Adam’s, Blue had woven together long strips of ripped up train schedules. Noah gave everyone a jar of homemade apple butter. Gansey had selected a different book that he thought each person would enjoy. Henry gave out coupons for ‘Special Henry Time’ (“WHAT?! I’m _poor_ now!”). Ronan carted in bottles of limoncello he’d had steeping in the back for the past month.

Adam was the last to go. He nervously handed out carefully wrapped parcels. Ronan was the first to rip his open.

“It’s… a hat…” Ronan looked slightly underwhelmed, but he recovered quickly and put the soft knit cap on his head, “I love it, babe.”

The others also unwrapped hats of varying colors and textures.

“Um, I knitted them actually,” Adam admitted sheepishly.

Ronan’s jaw dropped open, “You _made_ these? _How_? _When_?”

Adam pulled Ronan’s midnight blue hat down a little lower on his head, as if checking the fit, “A few times when I told you I had to work late, I was actually at Calla’s. She taught me the basics. And then I did most of the actual knitting when I was on the train.”

Ronan’s smile widened and he pulled Adam into a sloppy, grinning kiss. Blue jumped out of her chair and hugged Adam from behind as they all exclaimed over how beautiful Adam’s gifts were.

Ronan pulled back from the kiss and put his hands on either side of Adam’s face, “You are amazing.”

Adam blushed and bumped his forehead against Ronan’s, “Merry Christmas.”

**

They all hugged and said goodnight as Ronan locked the front door of the bar. He took Adam’s gloved hand and they turned down the street to walk back to the apartment. They heard the others singing a drunken rendition of 'Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer' as they weaved through the falling snow back to their own beds.

Ronan adjusted his new hat on his head. He’d refused to take it off all night.

“Still can’t believe you made this. You are one _wily_ motherfucker – sneaking around and hiding your yarn stash…” Ronan shook his head, grinning.

“For your next birthday you’re getting a crocheted romper. I’m gonna have to take measurements for that one.”

Ronan barked out a laugh and tried to trip Adam. He missed and ended up nearly pulling them both into a snowdrift.

Adam righted them and continued on as if nothing had happened, “The hat was easy, I just asked Calla what the largest possible hat size was, and then I made it a little bigger.”

“Fuck you, Parrish, my head is perfect.”

Adam pulled Ronan in closer, wrapping his arm around his waist, and kissing his neck, “All of you is perfect.”

**

Adam was glad Ronan had warned him off of having too much of the mulled wine the night before – he hadn’t realized that Christmas began at 8 o’clock in the morning for the Lynch brothers.

Declan and his family had picked up Matthew on the way up to the apartment. The three brothers and the two young girls were bright-eyed and bushytailed, their mouths full of cranberry muffins and hot chocolate, ready to rip into presents. Adam was relieved to find at least one other normal human being who was still less than awake.

“Please tell me you have some coffee back there,” Jordan looked up at Adam beseechingly, “I’m gonna need more than just sugar to keep up with these lunatics.”

Adam put his arm around her and walked her back to the kitchen, “It’s gonna be fine. We can send them all out to the backyard and tell them to build a snow fort if we need to wear them out.”

“Excellent idea,” Jordan nodded approvingly.

“Well, it works for Ronan.”

Jordan guffawed and then did a double-take at the gigantic mistletoe over the kitchen island. She side-eyed Adam.

“Don’t ask,” he sighed.

**

Jordan and Declan and their girls – Hennessy and Aurora – had taken over the couch. Adam and Matthew sat in the armchairs by the fire. Ronan sat on the floor, leaning back against Adam’s chair, his head resting on Adam’s knee.

“Uncle Ro! Oh my god! Thank you!” Hennessy squealed and turned to show her mother the giant box of paints and brushes. Ronan had been disgusted with the children’s paint sets he’d found online, and had dragged Adam to a professional art supply store where he’d cleaned out the aisles.

Jordan’s eyes went wide, “Good grief, Ronan, these are better than _my_ brushes.”

Ronan shrugged, “Well, you didn’t send a letter to Santa, did you?”

Jordan threw the remains of a muffin at Ronan’s head and laughed as he caught it in his mouth.

Adam cuffed Ronan lightly on the back of the head.

“ _Thank you_ ,” Jordan said pointedly to Adam.

“My pleasure.”

Ronan rubbed the back of his head, “Traitor.”

Declan chose to ignore the drama and pulled a gift from beneath the tree, “Adam, this is for you from the four of us.”

“And me!” Matthew chimed in.

“And Matt,” Declan rolled his eyes.

Adam felt a rush of…. something. He really hadn’t expected Ronan’s family to get him anything. He was glad now that Ronan had insisted on putting both of their names on the gifts for everyone. (“We’re a team, babe – what I give them, _we_ give them. Don’t fucking fight me on this.”)

Adam took the large box from Declan. It felt light for the size of it. Ronan shifted so he could better see Adam from his place on the floor.

Adam ripped off the paper and opened the lid – inside was a quilt, handmade and quite old by the looks of it. It looked _loved_.

Adam pulled it out of the box so Ronan could see. He heard Ronan inhale in surprise. Ronan swung his head and met Declan’s eyes.

“Dec…?” Ronan’s voice was horse.

“They’d want you two to have it,” he said simply, shrugging a shoulder.

Ronan stared down at the floor and surreptitiously wiped his eyes, “Thanks, Dec. Really.”

Declan cleared his throat and managed to make a noise of affirmation. Jordan rubbed his shoulder, smiling.

Matthew just grinned at his brothers, “You guys! Look at you getting all choked up!”

“Ronan…?” Adam asked, gently putting his hand on the back of Ronan’s head.

Ronan looked up at Adam. His eyes were bright with unshed tears, “It belonged to our parents. My mom made it when they got married, and it was always on their bed.”

Adam’s eyes widened. That Declan would give the quilt to _him_ … he couldn’t begin to think about what that meant. That Ronan’s brother, having never met Adam before, would already know... that he and Ronan… Adam’s brain stuttered to a halt. He checked his body for signs of panic. His heartbeat was elevated, but not in a fight or flight kind of way. His stomach was fine. He just felt…. warm. 

Adam realized suddenly that Ronan was still looking at him, waiting for some sort of reaction. And he realized he hadn’t said anything to Declan yet.

Adam turned to Ronan’s older brother, “I’m… I’m honored you would give this to me… to us…” he looked down at Ronan, “…I promise to take good care of it.”

He knew he was promising to take care of more than the quilt. He saw in Ronan’s eyes that Ronan knew it too.

**

That night Adam spread the quilt over their bed, running his hands over the worn patches and threadbare fabrics. Ronan finished turning off the lights and blowing out the candles in the rest of the apartment. Only the tree was left lit up, and the soft light filtered into the bedroom. Ronan came in and wrapped his arms around Adam from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder and gazing down at the bed with him.

“When we were sick and had to stay home from school she used to let us spend the day in their bed. I remember being wrapped up in this quilt, and drinking ginger ale, and watching cartoons,” Ronan murmured against Adam’s ear.

Adam smiled, “Well, now I know how to take care of you when you get sick.”

Ronan hummed in agreement.

“Ro…?” Adam hesitated. He wasn’t sure how to ask what he wanted to ask.

Ronan heard the hesitation, “You can ask me anything. What is it?”

Adam turned in Ronan’s arms so he could see his face, “How did Declan know… I mean, for him to give this to me… I just… I guess I’m wondering what you’ve said about me… that he would trust me with this?”

Ronan’s cheeks flushed but he held Adam’s gaze, “It’s not really anything I said to Dec – we don’t really talk about… stuff. I’m pretty sure it’s what I told Jordan. And she probably told Dec.”

“Which is…?”

“That you’re the love of my life.”

Ronan said it so simply. So plainly. He looked in Adam’s eyes with a calm certainty.

Adam surged forward and kissed Ronan, nearly knocking him backward. He was surprised by his own reaction. His heart had known what it wanted, and acted without asking Adam’s brain first. That seemed to happen a lot when it came to Ronan.

Adam pulled back, and put his hands on either side of Ronan’s face, steadying them both.

“You’re mine too… the love of my life,” Adam whispered.

Ronan closed his eyes and threw his head back, “ _Thank fucking god_. It’d be really fucking inconvenient if I wasn’t.”

Adam laughed and pressed his face into Ronan’s chest.

Ronan wrapped one hand around the back of Adam’s head, “Merry Christmas, love.”

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know if it's an exact translation, but "Adeste fideles, laeti triumphantes" is the latin version of "O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!"
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this little bit of wintery escapism from this godforsaken summer. I wrote most of it while lying directly under my air conditioner.
> 
> May all your stockings be filled with sugar-plums, you lovely humans.


End file.
